// Bensons for Beds has named a new CEO, promoting chief commercial and digital officer Nick Collard with immediate effect
// Collard’s appointment comes amid a swathe of senior exec changes at the retailer, including hiring a new CFO, commercial boss and retail director
Bensons for Beds has hired a new CEO to lead its transformation as Mark Jackson steps down from the retailer after three years.
The beds retailer has promoted chief commercial and digital officer Nick Collard, who will take over with immediate effect.
Collard joined Bensons for Beds last July and has previously held board roles at Holland & Barrett, DFS and Morrisons.
He replaces Jackson who helped steer Bensons through a refinancing and restructuring deal in 2020, when it was bought in a pre-pack administration by Alteri Investors. It emerged from the pre-pack as a stand-alone brand without former stablemate Harveys.
Collard intends to accelerate Bensons for Beds’ transformation and investment in omnichannel.
Bensons’ senior shake-up
Collard takes the helm as Benson’s shakes up its senior leadership team. The retailer has promoted finance director Gordon Brown to CFO, replacing John Sidebothan, who decided to step down after completing Bensons’ restructuring.
Brown joined the business in October 2020 as finance director having held senior positions in Asda, Jack Wills and Pets at Home.
It has also hired Holland & Barrett strategy director Ed Preston as chief commercial and digital officer. Meanwhile, Frankie Haynes, who joined Bensons for Beds from Costcutter last month as retail director, has been promoted to chief customer officer and appointed to the retailer’s board
READ MORE: Bensons for Beds rebrands with new logo and store experience
Existing board members, chief people officer Maxine Blackwell and chief operating officer Mandy Winser, make up to the rest of the exec team.
Bensons for Beds chairman Ian Shepherd said: “Bensons is a business with huge potential. Like many retailers in our sector, we’ve had our share of operational and supply chain issues as the world has recovered from the pandemic, but we are focussed on delivering for our customers and on delivering our strategy for growth.
“As we start to look forward to the next phase in our transformation, Mark and John have decided that this is the right time to leave the business. I would like to thank them for their dedication and commitment as they steered us through extraordinary times.
“We are delighted to have appointed Nick Collard as CEO. Nick is a tremendous leader who has already transformed the commercial operations of our business and is well placed to drive the delivery of our strategy and of a transformed customer experience.”
Collard said the beds retailer had “unparalleled heritage and significant potential”.
“Bensons for Beds has undergone major changes over the past two years and successfully navigated difficult conditions arising from the pandemic and lockdown,” he said.
“We have invested across all aspects of the business, including our stores, distribution, manufacturing and revamping our website, but there is still much work to do, and our focus is now on giving customers the best standards of service possible.”
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